This photo taken on March 12, 2021 shows a worker with car batteries at a factory for Xinwangda Electric Vehicle Battery Co. Ltd, which makes lithium batteries for electric cars and other uses, in Nanjing in China's eastern Jiangsu province. (Photo by STR / AFP)
SHANGHAI: Demand for Chinese lithium batteries will likely slump in early 2026 due to an expected tumble in domestic electric vehicle (EV) sales and slowing battery exports, the secretary general of China’s passenger car association says.
“Looking into 2026, demand for new energy batteries will drop drastically from the end of this year, so battery makers should cut production and take some rest to cope with the fluctuations,” Cui Dongshu, the industry body’s secretary general, said in a personal social media post.
China is the global leader in battery technology manufacturing and exports, and is benefitting from a worldwide boom in demand for batteries used in EVs and power networks.
A big drop in demand will hurt battery makers including Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd and EVE Energy.
Cui said green passenger vehicle sales will fall at least 30% early next year, from the fourth quarter, as tax incentives for car purchases are being phased out.
In addition, EVs for commercial use will “definitely” slump in early 2026 after buyers rushed to buy vehicles by year-end for subsidies and tax breaks, Cui said.
The loss in domestic demand is unlikely to be offset by exports, he said.
China’s lithium battery exports to the European Union, its biggest overseas market, rose 4% in 2025 from a year ago, while exports to the United States tumbled 9.5%.
The drop in US-bound exports suggests rising demand for energy storage from the US artificial intelligence boom is not lifting demand for Chinese batteries, Cui said.
UBS analyst Yishu Yan said this month that Chinese manufacturers face risks from US restrictions on projects receiving investment tax credits that involve designated “foreign entities of concern”. — Reuters
